LZeal releases ezShare wireless SDHC card with a Wi-Fi on/off switch

Chinese software company LZeal has announced ezShare - a Wi-Fi SDHC card with an on/off switch to reduce power consumption in cameras without menu options to control such cards. When the wireless function is turned on, images can be accessed via a web browser, suggesting it offers an HTTP server, like Toshiba's FlashAir cards. There are also dedicated apps for smartphones and tablets. The Class 10 SD cards are available in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities. Prices and availability information to be confirmed

That's right, no push. So you have the option to save from the web browser, which is one at a time of course; this would be fine for my needs.

I like things simple! As it's a standard web service setup on the card I don't need any proprietary software at the other end of the link, also means anyone I let in on the password can browse the images as well on their device. If you need push then the eyefi card might be better?

On my smartphone I've download a free app from Olympus (which seems to talk to any wifi device, not just an Olympus camera). It's great in that it allows me to select a load of images as thumbnails and import as a batch, which in my case I wouldn't really do that often.

I have just bought the Toshiba 8gb wifi card and it works fine. Just switch the camera on and connect to the card from any wifi enabled device and browse the photos on the card with any web browser.

I plan on using it in my waterproof compact when I am on holiday on sea-kayaking trips. I will then be able to easily copy some photos from the camera into my smartphone and post them to friends, etc without using a laptop, which wouldn't fit into our kayaks anyway!

QUESTION: given the pure physics of WiFi transmitting a certain amount of watts output, which draws multiples more power than a low power consumption memory card does, is there a danger to the camera equipment (if not, at least in longevity), and does it endanger the camera manufacturer's warranty?

Even if it's only 0.5 watts output, for example, it is still multiples more than the typical low power consumption SD card that our cameras are designed to power up.

I don't really know the answer to your question, but I do know that the new X2 range of cards have improved power management features and from my own use of the card I get the impression that the card isn't always transmiting a signal. Also, the additional power drain, which there must be, seems negligible; I just haven't noticed any significant difference in battery life.

I am interested in the question you raise and would love to hear from some folks with expertise in this area.

Bear in mind that the specs for the SD interface was designed to include support for peripheral devices and the extra power-draw they need. You don't see them so much anymore but a few years back the SD slot was used by many PDAs and smartphones to add things like GPS, scanners and the like. So, assuming the camera manufactures didn't cut corners, there's no reason to think that pulling more power from the SD slot than a normal SD memory card requires will cause any practical harm to it.

@reddog: it is more like 0.23w@squire: the standard is all nice, but if you were a camera manufacturer, would you necessarily prioritize battery life in your camera design, or design a camera for anything the world can throw at it in an SD slot? Before we go any further, let's try and google to see how much a memory card draws, and how much THIS card draws.

As you can see, at rest, the power draw is there, but shouldn't affect battery life much, in the grand scheme of all the things that are going on in the camera, that's normal. BUT... ten times more power draw on a memory card slot is a risk...

@Timmbits .. It's very good question.As electrical engineer, my major concern here is the heat generated by nearly 400mA, given the very small nature of the SD card, and that it is in a closed compartment, where you don't have the ideal situation for heat dissipation.Such heat, especially during warm weather conditions, could destroy the card, but excessive heat could also damage adjacent components, depending on what is adjacent to it.The warranty might become a fight between camera & card makers.To make things worse, the SD Association has not released a Wi-Fi SD spec, but I believe they already have a draft, and I think that Eye-Fi, and other Wi-Fi SD makers (members of the Association) have already said they would not accept or abide by this standard.300 or 380 mA is a lot of power for an SD card in a confined environment.What is next? Are they going to install a cooling fan for the card?It's of course best to have wireless off until you are ready to transfer the files.

(Continued-see prior comment)The eyefi process is vastly superior to the EZshare process. It just takes a week or so to figure out how to set up the eyefi card. It's not buggy, but the user experience is and they should fix that. However, it's still worth the hassle, as once you get it figured out and set up, it works great, it's fast, it's easy to turn on and off and to switch downloading between computer, tablet and phone. It's just not plug and play.

I have no experience with the new Toshiba card, but would like to hear from someone who has. And please spare us all your guesses, speculation and folk tale comments if you do not have a Toshiba card. You're just making noise in the wind.

@John DiggersYour two combined posts are very well said. Lots of folks whine about the Eye-Fi cards, when really there is nothing wrong with them, it's mainly user error. However, much of that user error is brought about by the not too clear instructions that accompany the card, and even on their website things aren't as clear as they should be.

But once you have spent time (far too much in my opinion) on their site and on their forum and worked out all the permutations, it's a wonderful and robust product. I should say that I am referring to their new X2 cards; the previous generation had lots of problems.

The irritation of having to log-in to an online account to change settings, I think is just a way of them controlling things i.e. to prevent Chinese/Far East IP theives copying their product. I don't particularly like the irritation but I accept it because it protects consumers from buying junk copies from the likes of eBay (who admit that most mem cards on the site are fake).

@John Diggers (Part II)I am also grateful to you for pointing out the shortcomings of this new ezShare card, which I first discovered about two weeks ago at this online retailer: http://www.gadgetinfinity.com/wi-fi-card/

Actually, the "news" is that they now are selling class 10 cards. All their previous cards had the on/off switch. That's old.....

What they don't really make clear is that there is no "push" to your computer/tablet/phone. You have to go and get the photos. With mobile devices you have to down load one at a time. Very cumbersome. With laptops and desktops you can get a whole folder, but it transfers as as a single RAR file that you then have to extract your photos from. Very cumbersome too.

Eyefi cards biggest issue is the complexity of use, poor instructions, and a presumed default choice of use to upload to outside services or the eyefi server storage instead of a simple transfer between your camera and a computer/tablet/phone.

The simple transfer task was added last as the product evolved. Eyefi would do well to set up software defaults to that option instead of social media or eyefi servers.

This might be good for on the go when you're outdoors or in remote location and you want a virtual 'tether' to your laptop without actually being physically attached. You import your images directly into Lightroom without a lot of hassle. That's my take on its purpose.

Using the shuttersniitch app and the eyefi card together works fine in the field. All shots jpegs are pushed to the ipad directly. I still find it a bit slow at times. Defining small jpegs and including raw solves that to some extend. You then have immediate pad-screen size views of your shot and you can download the raw shots later.

If you look at the picture, the switch is on the edge of the card. So what you do is take those skinny things dangling from your arms and use them to open said memory compartment door and move said switch. Yes, this is a first world problem, but with a little exercise and practice, I believe it can be overcome.

Missed the responses. I was asking how this was that much easier since you most likely will have to turn the camera off, remove the card, flip the switch, return the card and then turn the camera back on.

This one probably better than buggy, problematic and very high priced EYE FI CARDS. This new one has an on and off switch to preseve power for short life battery of my canon S100. I'll be returning this very costly unreliable EYE FI CARD for good.

You are not alone, me too is having problems with Eyefi cards.Also I dislike their software and the fact that you need to login to be able to make changes to the eyefi card settings..It would be nice if DPReview could do a review on these new wifi sdhc cards.

No!! you're not unlucky.. it's the manufacturer of the crude made EYE FI CARD which is now very unlucky for there's a new and reliable one just came up.and with a brillant idea to provide an on and off switch on it.

it might be territory difference.Even in Germany,you could buy an ez Share @ around 59USD for 8G/Class10,functionally similar to 8G Pro.: RAW file supported, direct transfer without external internet, no need for presetting,multi-user access simultaneously.